Netflix: “Everything new in UHD”

By Chris Forrester

November 9, 2015

Steven Kang, a senior staffer at Netflix and responsible for Global Originals & Future Technologies, says that all new content on Netflix is to be delivered in Ultra-HD as the means to future proof its output.

Kang is in charge of production and post-production technical guidance and support for all Netflix Original series such as House of Cards, Orange Is The New Black and more, while working directly with technical contacts of the production and post-production teams external to Netflix.

In a dialogue with Large Display Monitor at the recent SMPTE 2015 Fall Conference, Kang says Netflix is not mandating High Dynamic Range (HDR) or Wide Color Gamut (WCG) as part of its UHD specifications, instead it prefers to leave the HDR and WCG decisions to the creatives involved in the production. Nevertheless, it is trying to “nudge” the programme-makers in the direction of HDR and WCG.

Netflix is also testing and comparing/contrasting the various mastering and post-production technologies available with the aim of delivering HDR content now.